Motor-vehicle.



No. 637,498. Patented Nov. 26, 190|.

. w. A. cnownus.

man vEHlcu-z.

(Application Sled Aug. 13, 189B.)

2 Sheets-Sheet l.

(No Model.)

WITNESSES:

ATTORN EYS.

No. 687,498. Patented Nov. 26, IQUI. W. A. CRUWDUS.

MDTUR VEHICLE.

(Application led Aug. 13, 1898A) v (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

WITNESSES: I INVENTOR TH: wcmms PETERS no. PHoTuLITNo.. WASHINGTON o. c.

4`UNITED STATES j PATENT OFFICE.

WALTER A. CROWDUS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

MOTOR-VEHICLE.

cSIPECIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 687,498, dated November 26, 1901. Application tiled August 13, 1898. Serial No. 688,525. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WALTER A. CRowDUs, a citizen lof the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Motor-Vehicles and Electric Motors Therefor, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of vehicles that are adapted to be self-propelled on common wagon-roads, and especially to the construction of and operating mechanism for such vehicles.

The principal object of my invention is to v provide a simple, economical, and ecient motor-vehicle.

Further objects of my invention will appear from an examination of the drawings and the following description and claims.

The invention consists principally in an organized vehicle in which there are combined a front axle and a rear axle'pivotally secured together to permitindependent perpendicular oscillating movements.

The invention consists, further, in the combination of a front axle, a rear axle, bars pivotally securing such axles together, a front spring, and means for supporting the front spring on the central connectingbar and pivotally supporting it on the front axle.

The invention consists, further and finally, in the features, combinations, and details of construction hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l Yis a plan view of the running-gear of a vehicle constructed in accordance with my improvements; Fig. 2, a side elevation, partly in section, taken on line 2 of Fig. l; Fig. 3, a longitudinal sectional view taken on line 3 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 4, a plan view of the runninggear, showing the motor attached thereto, together with means fortransmitting power and motion from the motor to the driving-wheels.

In the art to which this invention relates it is well known that in using a vehicle of this type on the common wagon-roads of the country it is apt to encounter a road which is more or less uneven, and as a consequence the front or rear wheels strike obstructions or depressions at dierent times, resulting in straining or serious injury to the runninggear. In order to overcome these objections, it is desirable to make a frame for the running-gear in which the axles are rigidly connected together to resist end thrust, but are permitted to have independent vertical oscillating movements, thus enabling them to take the undulations in the road without undue stress or strains. The principal object of my invention, therefore, is to provide a frame having these general characteristics and advantages.

In illustrating and describing myimprovements I have only illustrated and described that which I consider to be new, taken in connection with so much that is old as will enable those skilled in the art to practicetlie invention, leaving out of consideration old and well-known parts, which if described here would only tend to confusion, prolixity, and ambiguity. y

In constructing a vehicle in accordance with my improvements front and rear axles A and Al are provided, connected together by means of a central longitudinal tube or bar B, which is preferably rigidly connected to the rear axle at the central portion thereof and pivotally connected to the front axle at h, so as to permit of each axle having independent vertical oscillations.

In order to minimize the danger incident to end thrust 0n the frame of the runninggear and maintain the front and rear axles in their proper parallel relation to each other, I provide truss-rods C, C', C2, and C3 and arrange them in an X-shaped manner. The truss-rods C2 and C3 are rigidly connected to the rear axle and to the central barB by means of a thimble D, which is arranged rigidly on the central portion of the longitudinal bar. The truss-rods C and C' are similarly secured to the front axle, but are pivotally secured to the central bar by means of a collar D, which is free to rotate on the thimble and which is held in position by means of the IOO the frame by means of the X-shaped trussrods, which are so arrangedas to receive the shockof the blow in a line perpendicular, or nearly so, to the point at which the blow is taken. In other words, they are disposed so as to receive such blows in the line of their greatest strength. I

In this class of Vehicles where the front axle is made to oscillate in a vertical plane it is usual to arrange the front body-spring on the frame, s'o as to avoid transmitting such motion to the body,rand as a consequence the frame at that point has to be made very heavy in order to support the weight thereon. In order to overcome this objection as to weight and construction, it is desirable, if possible, to arrange for supporting the front body-spring on the front axle and at theV same time to permit the axle to oscillate vertically independent of the spring.- In order to accomplish this result, (see Fig. 2,) I provide a clip E and rigidly secure it in any convenient manner to the longitudinal bar B. This bodyspring is secured by carriage-bolts e'to the Vsupporting-clip and in turn to the spring-bar f, which is secured to the wagon-body. The supporting-clip is provided with a forward extension E', which rests on a cylindrical bearing b on the axle, and thereby provides for the principal support of the spring and front portion of the Wagon-body on the axle. The projection E" of the clip is provided with a concaved recess to rest on the convex surface e of the longitudinal-bar journal, and thus permit the axle when taking undulations of the road to oscillare independently of the spring-support.

tudinal bar is a continuous or jointless rod extending from one axle to the other and secured to each. The running-gear is therefore much more rigid and strong than in a construction Where the reach-bar is divided or jointed between its ends. This jointless or continuous reach-bar I term in the claims a single-piece bar, by which term I mean to limit myself only toa bar not made up of sections movably connected.

While I have described my invention with more or less minuteness as regards forms and details of construction, I do not desire to be limited thereto junduly or any more than is pointed out in the claims. On the contrary, I contemplate all proper changes in form, construction, and arrangement, the omission of immaterial parts, and the substitution of equivalents, as circumstances may suggest or necessity .render expedient.

. l. In a vehicle of the class described, the combination ofv a front axle, a rear axle, a single longitudinal bar, extending from one axle to the other and rigidly connected to said rear axle and pivotally connected to said front axle for the purpose described, atruss-rod secured rigidly to each .end of theV rear axle and rigidly secured to the longitudinal bar substantially midway between its ends and inclined truss-rods rigidly securedv to said front axle near its ends and pivotally secured to said longitudinal bar substantially midway between its ends, substantially as described.

2. In a vehicle of the-class described, the combination of a front axle, a rear axle, a longitudinal bar centrally disposed rigidly secured to the rear axle and pivotally secured to the front axle to permit independent perpendicular oscillating movements, truss-rods arranged in a V-shaped manner rigidly secured to the rear axle and to the longitudinal bar, a thimble rigidly secured to the longitudinal bar to which the above-named trussrods are rigidly secured, V-shapedtruss-rods rigidly secured to the front axle and provided with a collar for pivotally mounting them upon tho thimble of the longitudinal bar, sub'- stantially as described.A It will be observed that the central longi- 3. In a vehicle of the class described, the combination of a rear axle and a front axle, a framework securing such axles together, a

` wagon-body, a spring supporting the wagonbody at the front part thereof and resting on the frame portion, a clip on which the spring rests provided with a forward extension which contacts upon the front axle and permits suchv jaxle to oscillate perpendicularly, substan- 

